| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to community outreach on the dangers of abusable synthetic |
|
|
substances. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 6, Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Chapter 469 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 469. ABUSABLE SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES COMMUNITY OUTREACH |
|
|
Sec. 469.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Abusable synthetic substance" has the meaning |
|
|
assigned by Section 484.001. |
|
|
(2) "Task force" means the abusable synthetic |
|
|
substances education task force created under this chapter. |
|
|
Sec. 469.002. ABUSABLE SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES EDUCATION TASK |
|
|
FORCE. (a) The abusable synthetic substances education task force |
|
|
is composed of: |
|
|
(1) the commissioner of the Texas Education Agency or |
|
|
the commissioner's designee; |
|
|
(2) the executive director of the Texas Department of |
|
|
Criminal Justice or the executive director's designee; |
|
|
(3) the executive director of the Texas Juvenile |
|
|
Justice Department or the executive director's designee; |
|
|
(4) the public safety director of the Department of |
|
|
Public Safety or the director's designee; |
|
|
(5) the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
|
|
Services Commission or the executive commissioner's designee; and |
|
|
(6) the associate commissioner for intellectual and |
|
|
developmental disabilities and behavioral health services of the |
|
|
medical and social services division of the Health and Human |
|
|
Services Commission or the associate commissioner's designee. |
|
|
(b) The members of the task force shall elect a presiding |
|
|
officer from among the membership. |
|
|
(c) Members of the task force serve without compensation and |
|
|
may not be reimbursed for travel or other expenses incurred while |
|
|
conducting the business of the task force. |
|
|
(d) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding |
|
|
officer. The task force may meet telephonically in accordance with |
|
|
Section 551.125(b)(3), Government Code. |
|
|
(e) Each agency represented on the task force shall |
|
|
contribute resources to the task force. |
|
|
Sec. 469.003. COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. (a) The task |
|
|
force shall develop and implement a community outreach campaign |
|
|
that educates the public about and increases awareness of the |
|
|
dangers of abusable synthetic substances. |
|
|
(b) The community outreach campaign shall address: |
|
|
(1) the health, criminal, and social consequences of |
|
|
using an abusable synthetic substance; |
|
|
(2) recognizing the packaging of abusable synthetic |
|
|
substances; |
|
|
(3) recognizing the signs of abusable synthetic |
|
|
substance use; |
|
|
(4) responding to a possible overdose of or adverse |
|
|
reaction to the ingestion of an abusable synthetic substance; and |
|
|
(5) treatment options for persons using abusable |
|
|
synthetic substances. |
|
|
(c) The community outreach campaign must be designed to |
|
|
reach a broad audience, but also contain elements specifically |
|
|
designed for students and youth. |
|
|
(d) The task force may: |
|
|
(1) publish and make available written materials on |
|
|
the dangers of abusable synthetic substances; |
|
|
(2) use advertisements or similar media to provide |
|
|
information on the dangers of abusable synthetic substances and |
|
|
increase community awareness; and |
|
|
(3) create and maintain an Internet website containing |
|
|
information on the dangers of abusable synthetic substances. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |